Beam.



DANIEL B. LUTEN, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.-

BEAM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1 1,1913.

Application filed November 28, 1910.- Serial No. 594,482.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL B. LUTEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Beams, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in reinforcement for concrete beams, whereby the beam is notonly strengthened without increased cost, but is actually cheapened in cost by reason of greater facility of construction.

- The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which the same reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views and in which Figure l'is a longitudinal section through a beam and its supports, and Fig. 2 is a detail view of the reinforcing members.

A concrete beam has regions of compression throughout most of its loaded surface.

and corresponding regions of tension opposite, usually a maximum at the middle of the span or opposite the point of application of a concentrated load. The beam also has regions of tension between upper and lower surfaces at about one quarter of the span tending to produce diagonal cracks. If the beam has fixed ends there will also result regions of tension on the loaded side over the supports. All of these tension regions are effectively reinforced by continuous tension members such as metal rods, following the unloaded face closely throughout the middle of the span, and then crossing in a diagonal direct-ion upward to follow the loaded'face closely over the supports. Y But since the diagonal tension is distributed throughout a considerable area lengthwise of the beam, it. is desirable to use two or more tension members so displaced with respect to one another that the diagonal reinforcement will be distributed over a considerable length of the beam, say one fourth the span. Thus in Fig. 1, the beam 1 resting upon its supports 2, is reinforced by two rods 3 and 4following closely the surface 5 opposite the load A and then crossing diagonally through the region of diagonal tension 6 at distributed points 3 and 4 to follow the loaded surface closely over the supports at 7. The reinforcing bars shown in Fig. 2 are identical but longitudinally reversed, the end 8 of each bar being identical in length,

H and'similarly with respect to the other end 7 and the diagonals 3 and 4.. The intermediate portion 9 is the same in both. If now, these two identical but reversed bars be embedded in the beam side by side, thereinforced I) am of Fig. 1 results. In the case of a bean with free ends insteadof fixed, where no tension exists over the supports, the ends 7 and 8 of both rods may be omitted or replaced by short anchorage portions and the same relations will still exist.

A decided advantage results in the fabrication of the reinforcement for a beam as described in that but a single form of bar need be bent to provide reinforcement throughout all of the essential tension regions. Only one lay-out of the form of bar need be made on the drawings. Simplicity of reinforcement results and is of the greatest advantage because of the unskilled labor usually employed in the fabrication and placing. of such members, and becauscof loss otherwise occasioned by failure of complicarted elements to arrive promptly. This new arrangement of reinforcement moreover produces a beam of increased strength, for as the load assumes the position shown at B the tensile stresses in their greatest intensities move to the right with the load. Butthe bar 4 is properly placed to resist them. \Vhcreas for the load moving to the other end of the beam, the bar 8 is advantageously located. And at the same time a maximum of tension reinforcement results near the middle of the span for heavy uniform loading throughout. The invention may. of

course amplified to include any number of reinforcing members.

I claim 1. A beam reinforced with embedded tension members, each of said members having a middle portion adjacent the unloaded face of the beam, and a diagonal portion crossing the beam at each end of the midd e portion with end portions of unequal length following the loaded face of the beam closely face oft-he beam closely between.

ber being at difierent distances from the middle portion and. some of said reinforcing members being reversed with respect, to

"others of said members, so that the diagoo5 nals cross the beam at different distances 10 on opposite sides of its center, said members being' turned end 'for end with respect to one another, and arranged to cross the beam diagonally near eachend and to follow one 4. A beam reinforced with a plurality of substantially identical, tension members,

each of such members having a middle portion adjacent the unloaded face of the beam, diagonal portions crossing the beam at the ends'of the middle portion, and an end portion extending from each diagonal portion I beinglonger' than the other, and the mem- 'bers being placed so that their ends are all in substantial alinement transversely of the members and some of the :members are turned end-for-end with respect to the others.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set myhand and seal at. Indianapolis, Indiana, this 16th day of November, A. D. one thou- 'sa-nd nine hiindred and ten.

DANIEL B. LUTEN. [n 8.

Witnesses:

FRANK A. FAHLE, Alanna M. 'Hooo.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for fivecents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0," 

